Ingredients: 1 shallot, thinly sliced 1 tbs sliced scallion 1lb ground beef or chicken 1 tbs Shaoxing rice wine 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped Âź tsp sugar 5 (or more) fresh Thai chili 1 tsp dark soy sauce 2 tbs roughly chopped mint leaves 2 tbs plum sauce 2 tbs roughly chopped basil leaves 2 tbs fish sauce 1 Cucumber, sliced Juice of 1 lime Jalapeno, thinly sliced Sesame oil 1 handful of cilantro, torn 1 package of frozen bao, steamed (about 6 baos/ package) Vietnamese Pickles with carrot and daikon radish (Do Chua) Optional: roasted peanut, roughly chopped Directions: 1. Mix ground beef with lime juice and 2 tsp sesame oil. Let it marinade for 10-15 minutes. 2. Steam your buns according to the directions in the package. When buns are done steaming, take them out of the steamer and cover with a towel to keep them warm. 3. In a heated wok, add 2 tsp sesame oil, followed by garlic and shallot. Add the beef mixture and stirring constantly to break up any lumps. 4. Add the rice wine and continue stirring. Then, add the dark soy sauce, fish sauce, plum sugar, and sugar. You can adjust the seasonings by adding more fish sauce. 5. Add the mint leaves, basil leaves, scallion, and Thai chilies. Transfer to a bowl. 6. To plate: open the bun (slice into two), add cucumber as your first layer. Spoon some of the minced meat, add the Vietnamese pickles, jalapeno, cilantro, and roasted peanut (if using). Topped with top layer of bun.
The Wicked Bao http://theurbanmrs.com/2012/10/24/the-wicked-bao/